John Elder

Before reaching the new gravestones in Arlington National Cemetery's it's easy to recognize why a simple, quilted, patch of green grass and white stones buried alongside the quiet banks of the Potomac River troubles the heart.
As one spends time in the section you can't help but breathe the restless cloud of uneasiness that hangs over the calm symmetry of the graves. Your eyes lie; you actually "see" the pieces of shattered hearts and lost ambitions scattered across the manicured grounds.
Names etched into fresh marble tell the sad tale of those young men and women of early varsity players benched early in the game. ‘Section 60' is America's promise to honor its warriors for first serving, and then dying, in the strange dusts on foreign soil.
........................
........................
read full text »